Chapter 90 Cecily Disappeared
A long, slender hand reached out to offer Cecily a small packet of tissues. The driver, wearing a baseball cap, remained silent, simply handing over the tissues.
Cecily accepted them, uttering softly, "Thank you."
She rarely showed her vulnerable side in public and quickly dabbed away her tears.
The car came to a smooth stop, and Cecily stepped out. The man observed her as she entered, then removed his hat, uncovering Blaise's striking, unparalleled visage. In that instance, his expression was neutral, but his dark eyes simmered with a menacing intensity.
Back at home, Cecily found that only Aunt Mary was there as Griffin was at Darian's place.
Aunt Mary, seeing the pallor on Cecily's face, approached with concern. "Ms. Cecily, what's wrong? You look so pale. Are you not feeling well?"
Cecily shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Have you had dinner yet?"
"No."
"Let me get you something—"
"No need, Mary, you don't have to fuss. Griffin's rarely home these days, and you work so hard normally. You should rest more lately and don't worry about me."
"But I should at least make you some something to eat."
"No, thanks. I'm not very hungry. I'm going to head to my room."
Once in her room, Cecily pulled out the only photograph of her mother she had. She looked so much like her, a woman who always seemed strong and enigmatic in her eyes.
Cecily sighed. Her mother's whereabouts, had she still been alive, remained a mystery. Conversely, if she were deceased, the true perpetrator behind her mother's death lingered unresolved.
Cecily's heart ached with every throb.
After a while, she opened a bottle of wine, poured herself a small glass, and sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows to drink slowly.
Maybe it was the silence of the night that amplified her sorrow, but Cecily, who wanted to manage her emotions, found herself controlled by them instead.
Aunt Mary, worried about her niece, made a small bowl of pasta and brought it to Cecily's door. "Ms. Cecily, you should eat something. It's not good to be hungry, especially when you're drinking. Aren't you supposed to avoid alcohol?"
Ever since donating a kidney, doctors had advised Cecily to be mindful of her diet and to drink less, She rarely touched alcohol and only in minimal amounts, given her low tolerance.
"I just had a little. It's fine," Cecily assured her, glancing at the steaming bowl of pasta, feeling warmth spread through her. "Thank you, Aunt Mary."
"It's no trouble. Eat up."
"Okay."
Aunt Mary stepped outside, and she could tell that Cecily was in a bad mood, but she didn't know how to comfort her, so she made a call to Aurelie.
Since Aurelie was the one who had connected Cecily with her, Mary had Aurelie's contact information.
"Hello, Ms. Aurelie, Ms. Cecily seems to be in a really bad mood today. She's been drinking, and I'm worried something might happen."
Aurelie didn't hesitate and came over immediately.
Just as Aurelie arrived, Cecily had just finished her pasta. Aurelie, striding in on her towering high heels as if walking on flat ground, rushed into Cecily's room. "Cecily, are you okay?"
Cecily, caught off-guard, saw that Aurelie almost slipped because she was rushing, and quickly reached out to steady her. "Why are you here?"
"Aunt Mary told me you were feeling down and was drinking alone. I was worried about you, so I came right over. Are you okay? You look pale. How much did you drink? Why are you upset? Is it Darian, that jerk, bothering you again? Oh Cecily, you have to talk about it, please don't do anything rash."
Aurelie delivered a rapid-fire of concerns, and Cecily could hardly get a word in. Finally, Cecily covered her mouth firmly and said, "I'm not having dark thoughts, and it's not about Darian. I only had a small sip, and red wine isn't hard liquor, so don't worry."
Aurelie nodded.
When Cecily let go, Aurelie took a deep breath. "You scared me. I thought something happened to you."
Aurelie glanced at the photo on Cecily's desk, "Isn't that your mother?"
"Yeah."
"Are you upset because of something to do with your mother?"
Cecily settled back into her chair and simply responded, "Yeah."
Aurelie was well aware of Cecily's distress regarding her mother, who had been missing for many years, leaving no clue to her whereabouts or whether she was still alive. This uncertainty was a source of anguish for Cecily. Crouching beside her, Aurelie spoke softly, "Cecily, try not to worry. Your mother is intelligent; she must be fine. We'll find her eventually."
Cecily also thought so, nodding vigorously and squeezing out a smile when she saw Aurelie's outfit. "You just came from a bar, didn’t you?"
"Yeah," Aurelie replied with a grin. "I ditched my friends just to come here for you. That's pretty considerate, right?"
Warmth flickered in Cecily's eyes. "So, are you going back?"
"Of course not." Aurelie decided to stay with Cecily so she wouldn't be alone.
Cecily knew Aurelie was always on the move. "It's okay, you can go. I'm fine and don't need your company. Don't keep your friends waiting, and don't come home too late."
However, Aurelie had a different idea. "Come with me. Don't just sit at home getting sadder. Let's go out and relax. Plus, you can make sure I get home early. Let’s go!"
Aurelie swiftly ushered Cecily out of the door. "Don't reject my offer. Besides, Griffin isn't at home, so we have the freedom to go wherever we please. Your life is too predictable—just work, family, and kids."
Cecily disagreed with Aurelie.
With Darian, Ophelia, and Elysia around, she was constantly engaged in a battle of wits with them. Her life was anything but monotonous.
...
It was only nine in the evening, which was just the beginning of the night for Aurelie.
In the booth at the bar, Aurelie introduced Cecily to her friends. Because everyone knew Cecily doesn't drink alcohol, they were all considerate and didn't pressure Cecily to drink. When someone tried to strike up a conversation with Cecily, there was always someone to help block them off.
Cecily ordered a low-alcohol fruit wine and sipped it slowly. It was often said that one was more susceptible to getting drunk when in a bad mood, and Cecily found this to be true. She had only taken a few sips before feeling a throbbing pain at her temples when she stood up.
Seeing her stood up, Aurelie quickly asked, "Cecily, where are you going?"
"I'm stepping out for some fresh air."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No need, I'll be back shortly."
...
Meanwhile, at the Fitzgerald's mansion.
The spacious living room was eerily quiet with little expression on the faces of a child and an adult seated on the sofa.
Griffin glanced at Darian and said, "I can't sleep."
Darian looked back at the young child, empathizing with him. He couldn't sleep either.
"Daddy, take me to find Mommy," the little one pleaded.
"Yesterday's visit was enough; no need to go every single day, time to hit the sack," declared Darian as he stood up. After taking a couple of steps, he felt his pace falter under the extra weight clinging to his leg.
"What do you think you're doing?" Darian asked sharply.
"We haven't seen Mommy all day. Don't you miss her?"
"If you miss her, go by yourself."
Griffin immediately let go of Darian's leg and turned on his heel without hesitation.
Darian watched his son's retreating figure and his lips twitched involuntarily as he mumbled, "Don't bother coming back then."
Griffin thought to himself with a hint of defiance, 'As if I needed your permission.'
With the thought of not returning, Griffin's steps became lighter, nearly sprinting back to the warmth of his mother's embrace. However, as he reached the doorway, his legs dangled in the air as he was hoisted up with force.
Darian stared him down and scolded, "Ungrateful brat."
Griffin noticed Darian holding the car keys and blinked, suddenly finding himself being ushered into the car. It appeared that Darian had finally given in.
On the drive, Darian decided to call Cecily.
Cecily's phone rang from inside her purse, and since Cecily had yet to return to the table, Aurelie decided to answer, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was unmistakably not Cecily's, and Darian didn't hide his confusion as he asked, "Who are you?"
The sound of Darian's voice sent a shiver down Aurelie's spine, almost causing her to drop the phone. Gripping it tightly with both hands, she stammered, "Hello? I... I'm Aurelie."
"Why do you have Cecily's phone?"
"Cecily had a few drinks, might be a bit tipsy. She just stepped out for some air and hasn't come back. Is there anything you need?"
The background noise on her end was loud, and Darian could only imagine where she might be. "Where are you?"
"At the bar."
"The address."
"You're coming over?" Aurelie sprang to her feet, unsettled by the thought.
"Is there a problem?"
Aurelie could feel the intimidating force through the phone, and she feared the consequences if she said there was a problem, so she stuttered out the address.
The caller seemed uninterested in prolonging the conversation and hung up without another word.
Aurelie checked the time and realized Cecily had been gone for quite some time. Unable to wait any longer, she gathered their belongings and got ready to search for her.
Soon, in the bar's parking lot, a prestigious Rolls-Royce came to a steady stop.
Darian unbuckled his seatbelt and said to Griffin, "I'll go get her and you just wait here."
"I want to go too." Griffin unbuckled his seatbelt, ready to get out of the car but Darian firmly pulled him back in and sternly said, "No."
"Why not?"
"It's too crowded and not safe. Sit tight. If you run off, I won't bring you here again to find her."
Under Darian's intimidation, Griffin sulked and stayed inside the car.
Darian got out of the car and strode into the bar, only to see Aurelie, who had gone out to find Cecily without success and was about to head back.
Aurelie's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this ruthless, cold-blooded man, and she shivered remembering her harrowing experience at sea.
Still, she had to muster the courage to greet him, "Mr. Fitzgerald."
"Where did Cecily go?"
Aurelie quickly replied, "I'm also looking for her but haven't found her."
Darian noticed her holding two cell phones, his gaze deepening. "Where would she go?"
"She said she was stepping out for some air and then didn't return." Aurelie was getting anxious and added, "Maybe she already went back to the bar. I was just about to check."
"All right, lead the way."
Aurelie took a deep breath and, with the expressionless Darian in tow, went back to their booth, but Cecily was nowhere to be seen.
Darian's face grew darker and Aurelie felt a chill down her spine.
"Let's split up and look," Darian commanded before leaving.
Not wanting to waste any time, Aurelie immediately went to search for others.
Darian continued along the corridor, frustrated because Cecily had left her phone and he couldn't contact her.
He didn't realize how anxious he was becoming. He pondered the actions of that foolish woman at the bar, standing out as she did; surely, she was aware of the potential dangers of such places.
As he passed by the restroom, Darian heard a sound of someone falling inside.
"Miss, are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine."
Cecily's voice stopped Darian in his tracks as he approached the room. He realized it was the ladies' restroom. Considering the woman's unsteady gait, she seemed quite intoxicated. Darian paused at the entrance, feeling conflicted as he rubbed his temples, unsure of how to proceed.
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